The Christian Orthodox faithful attended prayers for peace at St. Innocent's Cathedral on Tuesday ahead of a summit with President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.

It is the latest development in the months-long effort by Trump to end the Ukraine war.

The hastily arranged meeting between Putin and Trump will be the first U.S.-Russia summit since former President Joe Biden met with the Kremlin leader in 2021.

There’s no guarantee a Trump-Putin meeting would lead to the end of the fighting, however, since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.

It remained unclear whether Ukraine would take part in the Friday summit.

European Union leaders also have been sidelined from the meeting, and they appealed to Trump on Tuesday to protect their interests.

AP video shot by Mark Thiessen